Thanks for the link, I did not see this as I was on the main product website and was using the links like "How it works" and "Experience" to figure out how it worked and what it was like to use it.
Although, the link you posted did not answer most of my questions like how the vehicle knows you are reversing, and how the video turns on. Only what happens when you are done reversing, which is important. I am going to look at the support sight for a video of the product in action, like from start to finish.
I wouldn't call it "lazy" for not looking at their support website for the basic functions on how a product is used though.
This is the kind of stuff I would expect on the main product page, considering the main purpose of the device is backing up.
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Thanks,
I am surprised that there is not more videos and info on this already. Maybe there is and I can't find it.
I agree, if this thing doesn't instantaneously switch to the backup camera on the phone as soon as you shift into reverse, regardless of whatever else may be happening with the phone, then this is non-starter. The same goes for having to manually select the camera ever during the backup process.
The other issue with this solution as well is that unless the phone is already turned to landscape mode, then the backup image is going to be tiny. Most people have phone cradles that are vertical. I specifically bought one that pivots so that I could use maps in landscape mode, but quickly found that this was kind of a pain to do, so I rarely do it. My head unit supports the iPhone mirroring to the larger LCD display, which helps with the image size in portrait orientation, but most people aren't going to have that, especially people who drop $500 on this solution and don't have a larger LCD display to mirror to, or even a head unit that's capable of that.
Of course there are all kinds of other scenarios that people unsafely do, but do none-the-less. They get into the car holding the phone as they finish a call while they start the engine and reverse out. Assuming the video does automatically appear on the phone's display when the car is shifted into reverse without interrupting the phone call, it will be useless. Again, people shouldn't drive this way but they do. I myself have done exactly this, while using the built-in camera display. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had to look at the phone. That's what makes a permanent display more useful.
For $500, this is really the last solution I'd chose. Back when I upgraded my stereo head unit, I had actually considered some of the other iPhone-as-back-up-camera-display options, but they all had lag and other issues, and I realized that even turned horizontally that the display would be so tiny as to be unusable. This was recently confirmed for me as I rented a Ford Focus that had a permanent iPhone-sized display backup camera, and it was virtually unusable.
But as you say, if the software is not 100% perfect, snapping on the instant the reverse gear is engaged, regardless what else the phone is doing (and without interrupting phone calls, etc.), and remains on until the gears are shifted out of reverse, returning to whatever task the phone was previously engaged in, then this will not work for most people. I don't think I'd appreciate it remaining in camera mode until it hits 10 mph, nor would I want it to default to the camera mode just because the car is turned on and running. That would also be a pain.
So you're right, a number of additional questions need to be addressed.